RWBY short: Away
by Mudslingerartist
Summary: After the skirmish at the docks, Blake thinks about a boy she met only for a breif time during the dangerous initiation and on her way to Beacon. (OC x Canon sorta)


First RWBY fiction based on a scrapped OC x canon idea

* * *

Blake was content that after the chaos in the afternoon, Ruby and Yang left her alone in their dorm. Only Weiss was with Blake, yet she was silently busy with flashcards, notes, and several textbooks. Only the scratching of Weiss's pencil against paper and the crickets at night were the only noises in the room.

_"…__And then once he was certain he had left the rotting body, he walked across an unknown realm, seeing his old friends again, and continuing to live forever. He kept reflecting on where he was and wondered if he could ever go back to being alive, but he would never know for sure._

_He would have to live with it"_

Content with finishing her book, Blades proceed to tuck it away when she noticed ink leaking from behind the page. She turned the crisp page over and found crude handwriting in the in the tiny corner.

"From: Mum.  
So proud of you, Redmond!  
Send letters from Bacon Beacon!"

* * *

_FEW DAYS AGO - INITIATION_

_The canopy of the Emerald Forest was coming faster and faster towards Blake. Her kind of Faunus have always been known been known to carry cat-like characteristics, though that didn't mean that she would always land on her feet, especially at the speed she was going at._

_So Blake brushed through a canopy, and swung on a branch, propelling herself forward and into a clearing. She landed with one aching knee in front of the other, combat ready._

_The silence of the Emerald Forest was the only welcoming she received, until moments later she heard the sound of something else brushing though the canopy, and come crashing onto the ground, followed with a weak yelp._

_Blake rushed to the location, seeing another student in a chain mail shirt and baggy pants, clutching his leg._

_"It's – Its fine Blake! It's just….broken…I think." Stated the boy._

_Holding in her concern, Blake helped the boy up, taking one of his arms and throwing it around her neck, while she lifted him up with one hand under his shoulder._

_"This is real embarrassing. I almost had it right!" The boy grumbled._

_"At least you didn't break all your bones, Redshift." Blake replied._

_After a few moments of walking Redshift stated "You know, I'd be horrible for a partner. I'm sure they would kick me out."_

_Blake didn't respond._

_"So…we are headed to the temple, right?"_

_"We're headed to find help. Then the temple." Blake specified._

_"I guess you don't to want be paired with a cripple for four years. I understand." Redshift stated_

_"You're not_

_thatcrippled. Once your leg gets better then-"_

_"-then I'll be labeled as the kid that passed initiation for free." Redshift stated._

_"Shut it." Blake glared._

_Just then there was some loud stomping that alerted Blake. Out of nowhere a huge black blur rolled from behind a tree and bucked her away._

_"It's a Boarbatusk!" Shouted Redshift, whose knees began to wobble and loose balance. The Boarbatusk snarled and charged towards them._

_Letting go of Redshift, Blake's hurled her_

_Gambol Shroud at the beast, causing the blade to dig into the black fur above its plated snout. But the Boarbatusk swung it head away, flinging Blake towards it. But while in midair, Blake kicked into the Boarbatusk's face, dislodging her Shroud from the Boarbatusk's cranium and causing it to roll some distance. It rested on its side, exposing it back._

_A second later, a dart pierced into the boar's chest. The next second, the Boarbatusk exploded into a thousand smoking pieces._

_Beside Blake, Redshift had his rifle out and, pumping it after he had fired it._

_"I can still fight. As…long as you don't need me to move alot…." Redshift commented._

_"Then you can ride on me." Blake stated, sarcastically._

_"Maybe but...I wouldn't want to slow you down." Redshift said._

_Before Blake could reply she was launched forward and landed face first. Tasting the ground briefly, she glanced behind her to find another Boarbatusk pin Redshift's broken leg to tree with his tusks. Redshift gritted in pain, dropping his dart rifle._

_Blake charged at the Boarbatusk splitting her_

_Gambol Shroud into a cleaver and katana, only to be unaware of a third Boarbatusk emerge from a bush to her left and powerfully ram her away._

_Although Blake landed on her feet, the two Boarbatusk had already dung their teeth into Redshift's legs._

_Blake and Redshift's eyes met; both were in shock, and both knew that even with the power of the aura, Redshift's wounds were too fatal to be healed._

_Holding back her tears, Blake grinded her teeth in rage and threw herself at the Boarbatusks…_

_….once she was finished she collapsed near Redshift. It was hard to hold straight face at him, but she managed as best as she could. Seeing his favorite set of pants now holed and drenched in blood twisted Blake's gut._

_"There is no point. Just…go." Redshift insisted. His face was pale and his voice sounded dry._

_Rather than deny the facts, or assure him, or even call out his name, Blake nodded silently and hovered over Redshift._

_"It's not…your fault…I wish…wish….I knew….how…to land…better…." Redshift coughed._

_Blake shook her head then uttering "I didn't think we needed to go over….landing techniques before Initiation. I was wrong."_

_Redshift said "Heh…..Not…your fault….you…your…"_

_Blake leaned in closer and Redshift whispered "You're…com…plicated. I like…that….about…you…."_

_Redshift mouth hung open and his voice ceased. His eyed focused upwards past the canopy and into the sky._

_Blake was used to seeing death and Redshift's was no different. In fact he wasn't the first person to express his liking to her - Though he was the first human to do so._

_At the sound of gunfire blasts and beastly roars echoing through the forest, Blake stood up, walked over Redshift's dead body and went back to concentrating on surviving through the initiation._

* * *

In her dorm, Blake kept thinking about how meaningless it was to let Redshift die. But she wondered if Redshift had not crashed painfully into the forest floor…

_Then I guess I wouldn't have teamed up with Yang, Ruby, or Weiss._ She confessed to herself.

"…'Night, Blake." Wiess yawned, crawling into the lower bunk facing her.

Blake had noticed that Yang and Ruby had still not returned. There were times when the two sisters annoyed her to the extreme with their blissfulness. And at times when they didn't seem so annoying to her, she joined in their fun.

_I didn't need_ this _much time to be alone….Maybe they went back into the city for something…_

Still, she judged it wouldn't hurt to send out a call. Picking up her scroll placed atop her bags, Blake contacted Ruby and Yang. However, there was no response.

She set the scroll aside and threw her head against the pillow.

* * *

_FEW MORE DAYS AGO – AIRSHIP HEADED TO VALE_

_Morning aboard the airship was unpleasant if you were on the side that faced the sun. Light rays poured perfectly through the thin vertical openings in the grey blinds. Rather than fight it, Blake got up and walked over to the bathroom._

_In less than five minutes she wore her tight, sleeveless, black and white outfit. Her shoes clicked with her every step around the room. First she folded her robe into her bags and then she walked out of her room, shutting the door on her way out._

_Simultaneously, another person, in his PJs , walked out of his room across from hers, yawning and stretching._

_"Rise and shine, Redshift." Blake stated indifferently._

_Redshift's tired eyes shifted toward hey Blake, seeming surprised "Blake? Isn't it still…uh…"_

_"It's clearly morning." Blake replied._

_"Oh…" Redshift yawned "I guess I should have synchronized my watch's time to Vale-time…" He looked through his pajama pockets and found them empty. "….Ah, I'll do it later."_

_Blake turned her shoulder to him and continued down the hallway, though it wasn't long until Redshift followed._

_"Um….Blake! Do want to…uh…Have breakfast together?"_

_"I was already headed to the ship's cafeteria…" Blake replied, not turning her head._

_"That's good. We can-" Redshift added._

_"…by myself." Blake added, causing Redshift to stop in his tracks._

_"Oh…If…you say so. I mean, after all, don't have me slow you down!" Redshift replied, putting on a fake grin. "Oh and you can keep my book, too! Though I believe I already said that…"_

_Blake didn't answer._

_There was not one book but at least three books that had fallen into Blake's possession when she had arrived at Vale, thanks to Redshift's kindness. Blake only cared for the fact they were books – distractions from the everyday world. She had erased the titles to avoid unwanted attention from others._

_Sometimes I wished you were on my team….and sometimes I'm okay you aren't… Blake thought to herself._

* * *

_FEW MORE DAYS AGO – CLIFFSIDE STATION_

_After pushing past several crowds, Blake managed to reach a terminal and display her (makeshift) passport to the man at the desk._

_She didn't intend to be late to her flight to Beacon Academy, otherwise the money she had acquired for her education and her parting from the White Fang would be wasted actions._

_"You're all clear, Ma'am, so head to terminal 67. Be fast; your flight is almost ready to depart."_

_Blake didn't waste any time saying 'thank you' and sprinted though more of the hallways. Once she found the lobby for terminal 67, she presented her name to the a lady in uniform._

_"I'm sorry dear. The flight has stopped taking passengers aboard. They will be leaving any second now." The lady informed._

Darn it _Blake thought_

_"Just mark me as aboard the ship." Blake demanded._

_"Are you sure? You can't get aboard I'm afra-"_

_"Just do it. Please." Blake urged. "I will get aboard." She planned to sneak outside and creep aboard the airship while it was in midflight. However, the only way to not be identified as a stowaway was to have the lady mark her as presently aboard._

_"Listen, youngling." The Lady snapped "There is another flight at this terminal also headed to Vale. You can get on that flight, so I suggest you take a seat and wait."_

_Blake nodded, and strode over to a seat in corner, folding her arms as time started to pass. Her eyes glanced at book placed on top of several magazines and travel brochures._

_The book was in brown leather and lacked title or citation of the author. Blake opened the book and found that the text was professionally printed on the inside with type writer._

_"I beg your pardon…"_

_Blake looked up and found a boy with maroon-colored hair that almost covered his head like a helmet. He wore a chain-mail shirt and had cargo pants on. In his hands he was carrying a drink._

_"….but...Um…could I sit here?" he asked._

_"Oh," Blake stated "Of…course."_

_Taking the seat next to her the boy stated. "By the way I'm Redmond Shift. Or 'Redshift' for short"_

_He offered his drink silently to her. Blake glanced up from her book but returned her eyes back to it as means of saying no._

_"Headed to Vale?" asked Redshift_

_"Yes – to become a huntress."_

_"Ditto…well, as a hunter at Beacon Academy. I've heard the place is challenging, but also famous for view."_

_Blake nodded, focusing more on the book than Redshift's words._

_"…And you're free to keep that book." Redshift added._

_Blake gazed up at the boy, looked more bothered than perplexed._

_"I bought it – and I figured I didn't really want to read it anymore." Redshift explained, sipping more of his drink._

_"Um…thanks?" Blake responded. After a few moments, she stated "You're weird, and obviously trying to impress me."_

_"Maybe, maybe not." Redshift shrugged, tossing his drink away into a trash can and pinking up a magazine._

_"I'm Blake." Blake stated._

_"That's nice name for girl." Redshift replied._

_"You're just saying that." Blake said, emotionless and returning to her book._

_"Yes I am." Admitted Redshift. Neither said another word until their flight had arrived._

* * *

"SURPIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISE!"

Weiss's head collided with the top bunk, causing it to collapse on top of her. Blake rolled off her bunk and landed on the floor, glancing up at Ruby and Yang, holding out a tray of four cookies in the room.

"Excuse me?" Blake wondered.

"We made you cookies! As a welcome back to team RWBY!" cheered Ruby, who helped Blake up with hug. Blake groaned.

"Yup – we made then down in the kitchen." Explained Yang, holding out the tray "We made a moon-shaped cookie, a scythe-shaped cookie, an Ozpin-shaped cookie…"

"And a very special cookie just for you!" Ruby chimed, taking one of the cookies and holding up in Blake's face.

It was cat.

Blake was not sure weather not it was a joke on her being a Fauns or a symbol of friendship. "Well, you didn't need to do all this for -"

Ruby jammed the cat-shaped cookie forcefully into Blake's mouth"You're welcome!"

Weiss crawled from underneath the bed and thundered out "RUBY! YANG! Are you insane?! It's midnight!"

Dropping the tray of cookies into Ruby's arms, Yang looked at her watch under one of her gloved wrists. "Actually, Weiss, its one minute from midni…Oh, now its midnight!"

Ruby gave a sheepish grin, presenting the tray to Weiss. "And we made cookies! Uh…Surprise!"

Weiss looked unamused by Ruby's answer but snatched the moon shaped cookie from the tray stating, "Fine. I guess a snack won't hinder my sleep in any way…."

Weiss was about bit down on the cookie when she asked "How much sugar is in this cookie?"

"About ten teaspoons." replied Ruby proudly, biting down on the Ozpin cookie.

"I'll settle for half of it for now…." Weiss stated breaking the cookie into two.

As Yang and Ruby told of their nighttime adventure sneaking into the school's kitchen, Blake swallowed the cookie and wiped her face. Then Blake placed Redshift's book back with her other, wanting to not dwell on small things between them in the past anymore. She then turned to focusing on her relationship with her team at the moment.


End file.
